Self governing propeller for wind driven devices



M. J. RENQUIST ET AL Oct. 26, 193 7.

SELF GOVERNING PROPELLER FOR WIND DRIVEN DEVICES Filed Jan. 10, 1936' 2 Sheets-Sheetl Q Oct. 26, 1937. M. JLRE'NQUIST ET AL 2,096,860

SELF GOVERNING PROPELLER FOR WIND DRIVEN DEVICES Filed Jan. 10, 1936 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented Oct. 26, 1937 PATENT SELF GOVERNING PROPELLER FOR WIND DRIVEN DEVICES Mervin J. Renquist and Harold C. Harden, Deuel County, Nebr.

Application January 10, 1936, Serial No. 58,566

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a propeller for a wind driven device and more particularly to a propeller which is self adjusting and so constructed that the pitch of its blades may be automatically adjusted according to the velocity of the wind and the load applied to the propeller shaft.

One object of the invention is to so construct the propeller that the blades may be shifted radially of the hub of the propeller by centrifugal forces set up when the propeller is in motion and the blades turned during this radial movement to cause the blades to be disposed at the proper angle relative to the Wind. Therefore, the blades will be automatically set in accordance with the "Velocity of the Wind or load upon the propeller shaft and the most efiicient operation obtained.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for slidably and turnably mounting the blade carrying arms of the profor mounting helical springs which yieldably resist outward movement of the blade carrying arms. 7

Another object of the invention is to so mount the springs which resist outward movement of the blade carrying arms that initial tension of the springs may be regulated and thus the centrifugal force required to move them outwardly controlled.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view taken diametrically through the improved propeller.

Figure 2 is a view taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1. I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View taken along the line 33 of Figure 1 with the spring omitted.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view taken through the inner end portion of one of the propeller arms along the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view upon an enlarged scale taken longitudinally of one of the propeller arms along the line 55 of Figure 2.

The improved propeller constituting the subject-matter of this invention is adapted to be mounted upon the shaft I constituting the main drive shaft of a windmill, generator or any other machine or apparatus in order that rotary motion may be imparted to the main shaft when the propeller is turned by air currents acting against blades of the propeller. While it has been stated that the shaft I constitutes the main shaft of the machine or apparatus to be driven it will be understood that mechanism of the machine or apparatus may be directly carried by the shaft pellers and, in addition, provide improved means gears, belts or in any other desired manner.

The hub 2 of the propeller may be formed as a Y hollow casting or in any other desired manner to form a hollow body defining a chamber which is open at its back and normally closed by a rear wall 3 which fits about the shaft I and has its marginal portions detachably secured against walls of the hub by bolts or equivalent fasteners 4. The hub tapers forwardly in order to reduce wind resistance and at its front end the hub carries an inwardly extending sleeve 5 which fits snugly about the forward end portion of the shaft and is held against rotation thereon by a key 6. It will thus be seen that when the hub is applied to the shaft, the key 6 driven into place in grooves formed in the sleeve 5 and the tapered end portion 1 of the shaft, and the nuts 8 applied and tightened, the hub will be very firmly secured upon the shaft and the shaft caused to rotate with the propeller. Fins or webs l0 extend rearwardly from the conical or tapered forward portion of the hub in spaced relation to each other circumferentially thereof with their rear ends terminating flush with the plane of the rear edge of the hub so that the bolts H may be passed through the closure plate orwall 3 and into the fins to assist in holding the closure plate in place. These fins have been shown three in number as the propeller has three blades but it is to be understood that any number of blades may be provided for the propeller in which case a corresponding number of fins will be provided. An opening I2 is formed through each fin in alinement with a companion opening l3 formed in the cylindrical rear portion of the hub and through these companion openings of the fins and hub extend tubes or sleeves l5 which are externally threaded and carry nuts I5, I! and 13. The nuts l6 serve as adjustable means for limiting outward movement of the sleeves and the nuts l! and I8 form adjustable abutments for the outer ends of helical springs H) which fit loosely about inner end portions of the sleeves with their inner' ends bearing against collars 20 clamped about inner ends of the propeller shafts or rods 2|; These shafts or rods 2! extend longitudinally through the sleeves I 5 with their end portions snugly received in bushings 22 and 23 mounted in ends of the sleeves and each propeller rod or shaft carries a side pin 24 which extends through a diagonally extending slot 25 formed in the companion sleeve. By this arrangement, the propeller rods or shafts may be shifted outwardly by centrifugal force in opposition to action of the springs l9 and during this movement the pins 24 which project through the spirally extending slots 25 will impart rotary motion to the propeller ,be very firmly secured andextend'at. the pitch shaft. Rollers 26 are mounted upon the pins 24 to permit the pins to move easily through the slots and prevent frictionalbinding. By adjusting-the nuts I! and I8, initial tension of the springs l8 may be regulated and by adjusting the nuts Hi, the extent to which the sleeves I1 projectoutwardly from the cylindrical portion of the hub may be controlled. The collars 20, which are tightly clamped about inner ends of the propeller shafts or rods 2 I by bolts 21 passing through cars ,28, carry pins 29 which project forwardly therefrom and terminate in spherical heads 30 engaged in radially extending slots 3| formed in the rear face of a collar 32 fitting about the main shaft l and loosely mounted thereon back of the sleeve 5 of the propeller. mounting for inner ends of the propeller rods or shafts and as it is loose about the shaft I, it may turn about the main shaft when the propeller shafts or rods are shifted radially. Therefore,

the collar 32 will not interfere with turning of .the propeller rods or shafts as they are shifted radially of the hub. Outer end portions of the propeller rods or shafts are flattened, as shown at 33, to provide fiat faces against which the shank 34 of. the propeller blades 35 maybe firmlysecured by bolts 36 and, therefore, the blades will shown in Figure 1 when the propeller shafts'or rods are in their retractedposition. When, however,'the propeller shafts are shifted outwardly by a centrifugal force and the propeller shafts turned, the blades will be turned with the shaft and pitch of the blades adjusted. It will thus be seen that when the propeller is in use-and rotated by air currents, centrifugal force exerted will shift the propeller rods or shaftsoutwardly and adjust the pitch of the blades to disposethem at the "proper angle according to thevelocity. of

the wind. If the velocity of the wind increases and additional centrifugal force is exerted to further shift the propeller shafts outwardly or thervelocity of the wind" decreases to suchan extent that the springs l9 will force the propeller shaft inwardly, the propeller shaft will be turned as they move longitudinally and pitch of the blades adjusted. This adjustment will also takeplace in case load upon the main shaft should be, increased or reduced during operation of the machine or apparatus of which the main shaft forms anelement and pitch of the blades adjusted.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is: V 1. In a propeller construction, a rotary shaft, a

hollow hub disposed about said shaft and having This collar serves as a a. mounting member at its center fixed to the hub, a collar loose about the shaft, and formed with radially extending grooves opening through the peripheral edge face of the collar and the rear side face thereof, tubes mounted radially in the hub rearwardly of said collar with their outer ends projecting therefrom, propeller blades extending radiallyfrom the hub, rods extending longitudinally through said tubes with their outer ends projecting therefrom and secured to the propeller blades and their inner ends projecting from thetubes, abutments carried by inner ends of said rods back of said collar and having lugs projecting forwardly and engaged in the tracks of said collar, abutments carried by the {tubes externally thereof, springs about the tubes engaging the abutments carried by the tubes and the rods to yieldably resist outward movement of the rods, and means for imparting turning movement to the rods during longitudinal movement thereof and adjusting the angle of the propeller blades.

2. In .a propeller structure, a rotary shaft, a

hollow hub about the shaft having a marginal wall and a oentral'sleeve fitting about the'shaft and fixed thereto, a collar loose about said shaft directly back of said sleeve and formed with radially extending tracks in its rear face opening through the peripheral edge face of the collar, fins carried by said hub and each other circumferentially thereof, externally ,threaded tubes extending radially of the hub through openings in the fins and having their outer end portions extending through openings formed in the wall of the hub opposite the open-' ings in the fins, propeller blades extending radially from the hub, rods extending longitudinally through the tubes with their outer end portions projecting from the tubes and secured to. the propeller blades and their inner end portions threaded and projecting from inner ends of the spaced from' tubes back of said collar, split nuts threaded upon inner ends of said rods and having forwardly extending pins engaged in the tracks of the collar loose about the shaft, bolts for binding said nuts .upon said rods, abutments threaded upon the tubes between their inner ends and said fins for' adjustmentlongitudinally upon the tubes, springs about the tubes having their outer ends bearing against the abutments of. the .tubes and theirv inner ends bearing against the nuts at inner ends I 

